Several myths out there describe how to behave during emergency situations. But are you sure you can rely on them? Perhaps you need to think more about it since some of these ‘survival tips’ are mere myths and are not effective at all. On the other hand, it could sometimes even kill you or hurt you badly. Here, you will be able to find nine myths which are ineffective but also potentially risky.
1. First aid for a snake bite
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When yo get bitten by a snake, the snake venom penetrates the bloodstream very quickly. It does get accumulated in the bitten area. Hence, attempting to suck it out is worthless. Besides, when you put your mouth on the bitten area, the venom may get into your mouth and the oesophagus. An excellent way for a bite victim to stop the poison from quickly flowing through the bloodstream is to stay calm and keep the cut below the level of the heart. Moreover, make sure that you drink plenty of liquid, and most importantly try to get to the nearest hospital as soon as possible.
2. What to do if you get lost in the wilderness
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Most of them must have heard that the first thing you need to do if you get lost in the forest is to search some food. However, this is not entirely correct. A healthy person can survive without food for pretty long time: up to six weeks. But locating a source of water and making a shelter where you can protect yourself from extreme weather should be your first priority.
3. How to build an excellent shelter
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You must evaluate your surroundings and the weather conditions before you get started on a proper shelter. You require shelter to protect you from rain, wind, or the scorching sun. However, just building a lean-to is not sufficient. The ground will generally be cold, and it will tend to suck the heat out of you at night unless you make a layer between your body and the ground.
4. How to find water in the desert
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Did you know that there is only one type of barrel cactus available in the desserts which contain drinkable water? Additionally, you can get moisture from the Opuntia. However, most of the time, cacti can be really harmful and poisonous. When you drink the fluid inside the cacti, it will tend to make you sick and cause you to vomit up precious liquid thus leaving you more dehydrated.
5. How to survive a bear attack
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Bears never want to attack nor does it want to eat you. Therefore, in most cases you just have to back away gradually, keeping a close eye on the bear. Just make sure that you keep your distance from the bear. This will convince the bear that you don’t have any pretensions of its region.
6. How to identify which plants are safe to consume and which are toxic
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Some mushrooms and berries are poisonous to humans but aren’t poisonous to most of the animals and birds. So how do we know if the plant is edible or not? The only way to know an edible plant from a deadly one is to recognise the species of the individual berries or mushroom correctly.
7. How to find direction by tree moss
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Most of them think that mosses grow on the north side of the tree. However, that is wrong since moss can grow on all side of the tree, according to the environmental conditions. You should not rely on this famous myth while attempting to find your way out of the forest, or you might get lost.
8. How to treat hypothermia
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You should not rub the frostbitten areas since it may cause more tissue damage. People usually say that a person with hypothermia should be put in hot water. However, the victim should not use hot water or a heating lamp to warm. Treatment like this may even end up producing a shock to the victim’s body. You should rather warm the person’s core up slowly, preferably with blankets and few warm water bottles below their armpits.
9. How to survive a shark attack
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‘If a shark attacks you, punch it in the nose’. This is yet another ‘myth’ that you could avoid. People say that punching on the nose of the shark will help you survive its attack. This is not completely wrong since you could actually do that. However, not many people have enough strength to do this, particularly under the water. In the notably rare instance of a prolonged negative battle, you should try to place a solid object between you and the animal. For instance, you could use a diving mask or perhaps a swim board, so as to escape. However, if you do not have anything in hand, then, the easiest way to frighten a shark away is to scratch its gills or eyes.
